Twilight Twenty Five
by messynachos
Summary: Twenty five separate pieces. All pairings. All ratings.


The Twilight Twenty-Five

Prompt #: 1  
Pen name: messynachos  
Pairing: none  
Rating: any

Photos for prompts can be found here:  
community[dot]livejournal[dot]com/thetwilight25/13912[dot]html

The squalling newborn. Just recently thrust into her bright and noisy new world. A shocking change from the warmth and muted background of her familiar cocoon. The tiny form is briskly rubbed down before a chill can set in and a snug pink knitted cap is fitted onto the little head. Wrapped tight and placed into the waiting arms of a proud mother while the father looks on, oblivious and unashamed of the tears streaming from his eyes. Overwhelmed parents tear their eyes from the tiny human being and lock together.

"So beautiful." They whisper in unison.

The unsteady toddler. Her curiosity leading her first steps toward independence. So quick is the transition from swaddling to rolling to crawling to walking. Photographs document every day and every stage in almost obsessive detail. The difficulty lies in differentiating between the pride of watching your baby grow and learn and the sadness of watching your only child moving steadily toward her own future. The comfort of being the ones to offer comfort reminds the parents of their importance. Eyes lock again over another bruised knee.

"Our baby." They sigh lightheartedly.

The precocious child. A never-ending barrage of questions spilling as fast as her mind creates them. No subject or person or location is safe from the thirst for knowledge. Regardless of any embarrassment felt on behalf of the parents or anyone nearby, answers were given to the best of their ability. Often resorting to creating answers out if thin air to end unceasing questions and feeling a smug pride that nothing would never be accepted at face value. Indulgent smiles spread in tandem.

"Genius girl." They say.

The awkward preteen. Lanky legs, braces and the occasional questionable hairdo could never fully hide the inherent beauty of the changing girl. Pop star infatuations and long drives to see her new favorite group never deterred the love they had for one another. Occasional tempers were resolved quickly and never dealt with through violence or silence. Mutual respect allowed her to grow and the parents to have final say. An influx of young girls, magazines, makeup and gossip did nothing but increase the pride the father felt at watching his daughter mature. The mother's secret fear of rejection dissipated with her inclusion in the girls' discussions. They clean up the aftermath of another busy sleepover.

"Young lady." They murmur with minimal trepidation.

The blossoming teen. Grown into her own unique being without letting others affect the outcome. The intelligence shown early on only magnified as she grew up. The love between child and parents never diminished while their shared respect only grew as she understood their restrictions were for her own good. Family bonding increased as the parents came to the painful realization that their time with their daughter was coming to an end. Soon she would be on her own, making her own decisions and her own mistakes. Every opportunity was taken to make their final time together as happy and memorable as possible. They flipped through photos taken over vacation.

"Young woman." They spoke in sadness.

The independent woman. On her own without the constant guidance from her parents. Living hours from home and surrounded by new people, new places, and new new new. Managing school and work and friends. A boy comes into her life and makes her feel whole again. Love and respect grow and it's different from what she shares with her parents, but no less intense. Plans are made and lives are begun together. Announcements are made and happy tears are shed. Parents prepare to hand their only daughter over to someone else's love and life. There is sadness that her growing up is made real and pride that she has made this decision and is following her heart and her dreams. Hands clasped and tears falling, they watched from places of honor at the head of the aisle.

"Our sweet girl." They whispered with the bittersweet happiness that only parents can feel.


End file.
